Contra Costa Civic Theatre to Present SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM Beginning Next Month

Contra Costa Civic Theatre (CCCT) will launch its 2023-24 season with Sondheim on Sondheim, a captivating musical revue that delves into the life and artistry of one of the greatest composers in American musical theater history, Stephen Sondheim, from August 25 through September 10. 

Conceived and originally directed by James Lapine, with new orchestrations by Michael Starobin, arrangements by David Loud, and video design by Peter Flaherty, Sondheim on Sondheim weaves together timeless melodies and thought-provoking lyrics with interviews, personal anecdotes, and video clips of the composer himself. Sondheim on Sondheim creates an intimate and revealing portrait of his creative journey from his early days as a protégé of Oscar Hammerstein II to his groundbreaking works such as "Company," "Sweeney Todd," and "Into the Woods."

This Bay Area premiere production is directed by Marilyn Langbehn, now in her eleventh and final season as CCCT's Executive Artistic Director. Productions for the company include the Bay Area premiere of To Master the Art, Our Town, Anton in Show Business, Broadway Inside Out, Bright Star, The Last Five Years, All the Way, Ragtime, All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, Cabaret, The Sound of Music, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)[revised], The Mountaintop, and the world premiere of The Lost Years. Her critically-acclaimed production of August: Osage County received Best Production and Best Director nods at the inaugural Theatre Bay Area awards in 2014. She founded the Theatre's Reading Stage series in 2015 to showcase the work of women playwrights and playwrights of color. To date, the series has produced more than 20 works, including plays by Katori Hall, Theresa Rebeck, Cynthia Wands, Kimber Lee, Leah Nanako Winkler, Jiréh Breon Holder, and Inda Craig-Galván, and the widely-acclaimed world premiere of her play, Running For My Life, about the January 6th insurrection. Marilyn also inaugurated the “Kitchen Table Conversation” Zoom series in 2020 to engage audiences in substantive conversation about the arts in an informal setting. 

Music direction for Sondheim on Sondheim is by Armando Fox, who also served as music director of CCCT's Camelot, Home for the Holidays, and In the Heights. Anne Yumi Kobori, who recently played “Simca” in To Master the Art and “Peggy Maruyama” in Allegiance, will choreograph.  

“I am thrilled to embark on this extraordinary journey, bringing the iconic works of Stephen Sondheim to life in a truly immersive and captivating experience,” said director Marilyn Langbehn. “Not only do we get his glorious music—played by some of the best musicians in the Bay Area and sung by a director's dream of a cast—but we get the man himself guiding us through his thought process as he created some of the best music ever written. I can't wait to share this with our audience!”

CCCT's production features a mix of old friends and soon-to-be favorites: Stephen Barrett, Faustino Cadiz, Matt Gibson, Kate Huizinga, Alexis Lane Jensen (“Fraulein Kost” in 2017's Cabaret), LaMont Ridgell (“Coalhouse Walker, Jr.” in 2018's Ragtime), Brenna Sammon (“Guenevere” in 2022's Camelot), and Susan Tonkin.

Sondheim on Sondheim runs from August 25 through September 10. Tickets range from $10-$40, and are available on the theatre's website at ccct.org. All performances take place in-person at the theatre, 951 Pomona Ave (cross street Moeser) in El Cerrito. Free parking is available in the adjoining lot and on the street. COVID protocols for attending the in-person performances are updated regularly and are available on the theatre's website at www.ccct.org/safety.

Celebrating its 64th season in 2023-24, Contra Costa Civic Theatre (CCCT) embraces the notion that theatre is a vital part of a healthy community and serves its citizens best when it provides a welcoming home for all people who value the power of storytelling. Established in 1959 by Louis and Bettianne Flynn and a group of dedicated volunteers and under the artistic direction of Marilyn Langbehn for the past ten years, CCCT is proud to provide entertainment and education to the El Cerrito and East Bay communities that help it to thrive.

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